Austin Dillon Puts Chevy Back in Victory Lane at Pocono

Polesitter Kyle Larson looked like the class of the field as he took the green flag and led almost the first third of the Pocono Mountains 150 at Pocono Raceway on Saturday. However, engine issues sidelined his No. 32 truck and he finished 18th.

It was Austin Dillon who crossed the finish line first in his No. 3 Yuengling Light Lager Chevy, breaking a 12-race winning streak by Toyota in the NCWTS.

After sliding ahead of Clint Bowyer on a late-race restart, Dillon kept the lead when Bowyer faltered under the green-and-white-checkered restart, then pulled ahead for the race-winning move. Bowyer was driving the No. 5 truck, filling in for John Wes Townley.

“I circled this race on the map at the beginning of the year and wanted to win it,” Dillon said. “We put it all together to be in Victory Lane.”

The win was Dillon’s sixth career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win in 60 starts and his first victory of the season.

Richard Childress and Austin Dillon before the race.
Credit: Beth Reinke for Skirts and Scuffs

Dillon said he liked the additional 10 laps that were added to the event since he raced trucks at Pocono before.

“I think it put strategy back into the race as far as fuel,” he said. “It creates more drama at the end because people are on different strategies.”

Tyler Reddick had a rough day all around, starting with pit road, where he made contact with the No. 35 truck of Mason Mingus during pit stops plus served a pass-through for speeding.

Back-to-back cautions kept fans on their feet toward the end of the race. The No. 59 truck of Kyle Martel had a tire go down and hit the wall on Lap 48, bringing out the second caution. Just after the next restart, German Quiroga's No. 77 clipped Reddick's No. 19 and turned him into the outside wall. In what appeared to be retribution, Reddick wrecked Quiroga a few laps later, collecting Tyler Young in the process. Reddick, who finished 23rd, was parked by NASCAR and invited to speak with officials after the race.